


Each Time You Hear A Sad Guitar

by Taybay



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Or at least me trying to write one, Reunion Fic, There's an orignal character but they only play a small part in the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-02-18 02:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13090677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taybay/pseuds/Taybay
Summary: Just a few feet away from her, there now stood a man. A man she didn’t need help identifying. No, she was aware of who he was, even with having only been connection to him through memories, letters, and a single ripped photo.She knew the sight of her own Papa.





	1. Coco

Waiting patiently, Coco stood outside the Department of Family Reunions. Beside her, new arrivals were greeting their families, loud sobs mingling with the sound of the city. In a way, the noise was strangely comforting to her, as she had gotten used to the sound of people. It was a given considering that in her later years; she was always nearby her family, even as she lay dying.

She could still remember the image of Elena, watching over her from the end of the bed. Her lips were closed in a tight line as tears soaked her cheeks. The rest of the family also stood behind her daughter, mumbling words Coco could no longer hear. 

Then, in a blink of an eye, Coco was no longer bedridden. Instead, she surprisingly found herself standing on her own two feet. Looking down, she took out her right foot and swiftly curled her toes.

Haven’t been able to do that in years.

It didn’t take long to guess she had finally crossed over from the land of the living. In fact, it made perfect sense considering the order of recent events. She gave her toes another wiggle before retracting them back under her dress. Lifting her head up, Coco took in the sight panned out in front of her, having been completely memorized.

Buildings upon buildings were stacked in an elaborate fashion, colored with different shades of purple and blues throughout the city in an enchanting scheme. But she only had so long to marvel at the pure beauty of everything, before she felt a tap on the back of her shoulder. Turning, she was greeted by a man sporting a white-collared outfit. 

He gave her a toothy smile, “Buenos tardes, miss. My name is Gonzalo Marcos, I’m a clerk from the Department of Family Reunions. And well, as you can see, ” he gestured towards the scenery surrounding them.

“You have arrived at the land of the dead. If you would kindly follow me, I can begin to explain how things work around here, and also let any family members you have aware of you’re arrival. Paperwork for these things tends to be a long and tedious process, so there’s your fair warning before we start. So, how does all this sound to you?” 

While the paperwork sounded off-putting, even more so as she was lead to a stuffy office, filled to the brim with stacked folders, and groups of loose paper lying about on the floor. But if it meant reuniting with her family sooner, she more than welcomed it. 

“That sounds…nice.”

Ironically, the process had been fast, paperwork flying by quickly. Either the man underestimated his own work speed, or she was just a very lucky woman. Regardless of the answer, she was glad to be one step closer to leaving.

“Ah! I just realized something Ma’am; I forgot to fill in the simplest thing on the page! I can’t believe myself sometimes,” He shook his head in laughter, “I never even asked you for your name. And we have been chatting all this time, please accept my sincerest apologies.”

Coco had shifted in her seat, “ It’s fine, No harm done. My name is Socorro Rivera.” 

At the mention of her name, the Clerk’s jaw completely dropped, it fell so fast Coco thought it might fall off his face.

“Did you say, Socorro? Socorro Rivera? As in Hector’s daughter, ‘Socorro Rivera’? ”  
He was nearly shaking in his seat at this point, a wide smile spreading across his face.

Coco crossed her right hand over the other in her lap, bewilderment painted on her face,

“You knew my Papa?” 

Gonzalo let out a strong laugh from his desk, “Know him? Everyone in this city knows who Hector Rivera is, and I can’t believe my luck! Hector’s daughter in my office, this is fantastic news-“ The clerk quickly grabbed his phone on his desk, dialing a few buttons before Coco heard a distant click. 

“ Pedro, you will not believe what I’m about to tell you, go on, guess. Guess who’s in my office right now. “ He paused a moment, as the person on the other side of the phone spoke, “No, it’s even better than that, I have sitting here with me, Socorro Rivera, Hector’s own daughter!”

Coco jumped as a high-pitched scream came from the hall. The clerk hung up with a smirk, as he heard heavy footsteps shuffled past their door. Not really sure of what was happening, she could only blink in confusion.

“Your family is being notified immediately, so let’s just hurry and finish up the last of you’re paperwork.”

And now, she was left here. Left with even more questions than held previously.

She had never been aware of her Papa’s apparent popularity, so to hear that ‘Everyone knows Hector’ from Gonzalo had been a bit of a shock. She knew her Papa was a musician, but her knowledge stopped there. With her Mama banning music, she had very limited information on the subject. 

She had considered asking him more about it as the clerk walked her out his office, but somehow, she knew she wouldn’t feel satisfied hearing it from him.

No, She wanted to hear it from Papa. 

‘He loved you, Mama coco. Your papa loved you so much.’

She had waited nearly a lifetime to hear that confirmation, and it had been from her great-grandson who gifted it to her. He had been the last person she expected. And yet, He helped her remember what she had nearly forgotten. So she held on to that memory, tightly, letting out a deep sigh.

Her Mama would likely scold her for her thoughts. She had hated even thinking about Papa, especially knowing how his absence continued to affect both their lives. Instead, she focused her energy on always making sure Coco had a roof over her head, plenty of food in her stomach, and an education. And Mama did her best to ensure that Coco would continue these values, even after she passed. 

She had no doubt she’d be seeing her again, along with Julio and Victoria. While Julio had died a somewhat peaceful death in his favorite rocking chair, she couldn’t say the same for their late daughter. 

No one had expected Victoria, such a promising young adult, to pass away so soon. It tore Coco’s heart to pieces. Julio especially had taken her death hard, refusing to eat properly for weeks. Victoria had given the house so much energy; that when she left, there was just no replacing it. 

Interrupting her thoughts, Coco saw some sort of creature fly towards her, at almost impossible speeds for something of its size. As the beast landed with a thud, she thought her mind was playing tricks on her. It bore horns and wings, and it’s fur seemed almost painted on, like a radiant Alebrije. Not even noticing her confusion, the beast let out a loud yawn.

As it lay down, she watched with curious eyes as it’s riders climbed down.

A smile broke across Coco’s face as she recognized the faces among them. It wasn’t long before she was in the arms of her Mama again. Mama squeezed her close, placing a kiss on her.

“ My precious little Coco, it’s been too long since I’ve held you in my arms-“ More kisses landing on her head. “You must have so much to tell us about your life.”

Coco’s eyes were beginning to sting. The smell of her Mama’s clothes, it reminded her of their life together in the land of the living. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had been held so maternally. 

“Can we get in on some of the hugs?” came a playful voice from Coco’s side.

She turned around to two figures, which she already knew as Julio and their daughter. Julio wore a loving expression on his face. “Coco, you still look as beautiful as the day we met,” carefully grabbing her hand, he brought it to his lips. 

“And you are still as big a flirt.” Coco chuckled. Julio only shrugged mischievously, as if saying he couldn’t help it. 

Coco turned her head towards their daughter, who seemed to freeze on the spot under her gaze, a look of guilt masked on her face.  
“Victoria.” Coco’s heart melted completely at the sight of her as if it were now mending itself back together. As soon as she spoke, Victoria’s eyes swelled with tears, as she collapsed to her knees.

“I’m sorry Mamita, I’m sorry- I’m sorry I made you and everyone so sad-ugh-you must be so angry at me-“ she blubbered out through sobs. 

To no one’s surprise, Julio was the first to comfort her, “ Victoria, we talked about this, no one is mad at you, it was never your fault in the first place. “ Still Victoria cried out, as if she were a small child again. Walking up to her, Coco reached out a hand to touch her daughter’s cheek. 

“Mija, please look at me.” 

Removing her glasses to wipe her eyes, she did as Coco requested. 

“I didn’t spend all this time being angry at you. Yes, I was sad…what Mama wouldn’t be? I’ve only wanted to see you again.” Victoria’s lips trembled, eyes still gleaming with tears.

“So would you kindly as to give this old woman a hug?”

Victoria didn’t need to be asked twice, quickly sinking into her mama’s hold.

As they let go of each other, Rosita also greeted her, very much excited to see her sister in law again. For Coco, it had felt as if she was seeing an old friend. She also had the chance to reintroduce herself to both her uncles. After exchanging a few more meaningful sentences, Coco found she could no longer contain her own urgency. 

“Is Papa… Is Papa coming here?” She asked the group. 

Everyone eyes shifted towards Imelda. Coco steeled herself for whatever choice words Mama had in store. This time, to her surprise, Mama’s face didn’t furrow with frustration or anger, but with something Coco knew as a reassuring gaze. A look that Mama had used sparingly, but had always managed to wash away any doubts her daughter held. 

“Coco, there’s no need to look so worried. Your father has waited to see you longer than anyone else here; he practically flew out of the house. In fact, he left so fast, he didn’t realize he could have ridden on Pepita’s back.”

Upon hearing its name, ‘Pepita’ let out a soft purr.

Julio shook his head at this, “ I have never seen a man run so fast, you’d think he was running for his life.“ 

Coco couldn’t seem to find the words to speak, what could she even say? It was the second time she had been reassured that Papa loved her, and wanted to see her as much as she did. She practically wanted to break down onto the floor, much like Victoria. 

At the sound of feet running towards them, everyone’s heads spun towards the noise. Coco’s eyes stopped, seemly becoming motionless, as she took in the person.

Just a few feet away from her, there now stood a man. A man she didn’t need help identifying. No, she was aware of who he was, even with having only been connection to him through memories, letters, and a single ripped photo.

She knew the sight of her own Papa.


	2. Hector

Watching as Miguel disappeared back into the land of the living, Hector felt a wave of defeat wash over him. With his photo gone, he had lost his last shot at seeing Coco. Still, he couldn’t help but smile after hearing Miguel promise that he wouldn’t let Coco forget him.

The kid had placed a lot of weight on his shoulders and while it had been a comforting thought, he wouldn’t hold Miguel accountable for it. Hector’s time was running out long before they ever crossed paths. 

Pain abruptly shot through him, a flickering gold light overtaking his vision. He could hear Imelda’s voice calling out to him but he was too far-gone at this point, drifting further away from her reach. This was it. 

This was his final death.

Hector woke up to the sight of nothing but complete darkness. He slipped into a panic, quickly suffocated by the emptiness he was trapped in. Eyes darting around frantically, he tried to speak but the sound had gotten stuck in the back of his throat, becoming a fit of loud coughs. His skull stung with each hack, pulsing painfully along with the rest of his body. 

A faint click sounded from the distance, snapping Hector out of his terror. He lifted his head up to face it, forcing himself to disregard each prick he felt.

“Hector?”

At the sound of that familiar voice, he slowly brought his elbows under him with a tight wince. 

Having a better view up, he could now see Imelda. Her hair was down from its usual braids as she held a lit candle, giving off a dim glow around her. As she walked from behind a door, he also noticed that he was lying in a bed, his body on top of its purple blanket. 

Coming closer, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Ay, lay back down, I only came in to check on you.” 

Despite how relieving her presence has been, he couldn’t tell whether this was real or some hallucination his mind had created out of pity. Whatever the answer was, he didn’t want to be left on his own again, not when the isolation was drowning him. 

“I…melda, wait.” 

His voice sounded tired and hoarse, barely managing to be above a whisper. He wasn’t even sure if she had heard him until she stopped in her tracks. 

“Please don’t go…” 

He couldn’t see the expression on her face, his vision suddenly blurring everything around him, muffling what little colors there were all together. His eyelids begin to flutter, but somewhere in the room, he was still able to hear her answer.

“I’ll stay.”

\--

 

Hector wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep again, opening his eyes for the second time. In fact, he wasn’t sure how long he’s been out, period. Thankfully, The room was still dully lit by a couple of candles, revealing to him that he wasn’t alone.

Imelda’s head rested on the edge of the bed, her arms acting like a pillow as she had fallen asleep in a chair. It was comforting to know that her appearance beforehand hadn’t been a figment of his imagination. 

A small snore came from her mouth as she shifted slightly. 

Watching her like this, it reminded him of a time when they still shared simple moments together. He had once woken up to his wife playing with his hair, a small grin gracing her lips as she leaned down to kiss him. 

He had been so stupid to easily leave those memories behind and yet still hopeful that it was enough to hold their relationship together after death.

When Imelda had arrived at the land of the dead, he had tried many times to explain himself to her. However, no matter how much he apologized, every encounter ended the same. Her eyes always clouded with anger, yelling at him to stay away from her, from her family, and especially from Coco. 

While he had felt distraught at the time, deep down he knew that he had no right to be upset. Why would she listen to anything he had to say, she owed him nothing. What difference did it make that he had planned to come back to them? He should have never left in the first place.

So even after the truth of his death having been revealed, he still didn’t know where exactly he stood with Imelda. She had called him the love of her life after gorgeously slapping her boot across Ernesto’s face, but even that could have just been said in the heat of the moment. 

Beside him, he could see her begin to wake up, snores now turning into an irritated grunt. Wiping her eyes, she pulled herself off the bed. Moving over to a drawer next to him, she took out strips of purple ribbons. 

Was he staying in Imelda’s room?

Still walking about, she cross the room and opened up a set of curtains he hadn’t realized were there. The room completely transformed as light stretched out brightly from the window.

Returning back to her seat she began braiding her hair, intertwining it with the ribbons. Looking in his direction, she noticed he was also awake.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, cutting to the chase.

To be fair, he still wasn’t in the greatest shape, but at least the pain had partly numbed down to a more bearable state. Hector gave her a small shrug, grimacing a little at the movement.

“Better.” 

Imelda observed him closely, scanning him up and down. 

“That’s…an improvement. You’ve been out for the past couple of days, I… I honestly wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.” 

There was a strong uneasiness in her voice, one that didn’t go unnoticed by hector. A small moment of silence past before he spoke again, letting out a weak laugh. 

“That would make two of us.” 

After finishing up the last of her braids, Imelda’s arms protectively crossed over her ribcage. It was a gesture she had often made when she needed to guard herself. 

“I’m confused by you.”

Hector blinked, not having expected to hear that. “You are?” 

“You were like a curse to me, Hector. I didn’t want anything to do with you the moment you left. I got rid of anything that reminded me of you, from photos to toys, to furniture, everything. Including music. ” 

A sigh forced itself out her mouth, clearly aggravated.

“And now, well. Now I don’t know how I feel about you. I know how I want to feel about you, but even that isn’t helping me. One minute you’re the man I married for love, and the next, you’re the man who left me. So yes, I’m confused by you.”

Hector ran a hand through his hair, ignoring another slight throb in his arm as he let out a sigh of his own.

“Maybe it’s time I left.” He finally said.

“I appreciate you taking care of me this whole time, but I’ve caused you enough trouble as it is-“ He made to get up, determine not to let any discomfort show on his face.

Imelda quickly rose to her feet, her chair squeaking back from the force.

“No, I-” 

She stopped mid-sentence, hastily recomposing herself. 

“…It doesn’t seem right to let you die forgotten in some corner like a dog.”

At those words, Hector felt a tiny tug of hope latch onto his heart; mercilessly pulling him back into thinking Imelda could forgive him. But he knew better, he needed to stomp those feelings back early before they grew too big.

“ Well… that wouldn’t be far off from what I probably deserved.” He admitted, looking towards the ceiling.

“The only reason I made it this far was because Coco chose to remember me, even after I left you both behind. It was selfish- I was selfish, and you had every right to forget about someone like me.”

He heard Imelda fall back into her seat with a slight thump, not saying a word after he finished speaking. When the silence became too much, his eyes found themselves shifting back to hers. Her gaze was fiercely focused on him, looking at him like she was searching for something. Her voice suddenly cut through the air like a knife.

“I don’t want you to leave, Hector.” 

“You’re…you’re asking me to stay?”

“You know I’m a woman of my word.” She said instead.

He nodded. 

“And you also know, that once I set my mind on something, I get it done.”

Again, he agreed. 

“Then you should also know that for the first time in my life, I went back on my word. I didn’t stop Miguel from ever playing music again, even after I swore it off. And what’s more loco is that I don’t regret a thing. Not even a little. I hope he goes home and sings his little heart out.”

She sucked in a long breath, carefully thinking over her next choice of words. 

“So at this point, what’s one more broken promise? I’m not saying that I completely forgive you yet…” She reminded him.

“…But I…maybe with time, I can start to. So spend however long you have left here with la familia. With me.”

It didn’t take long for that tiny tug of hope, to turn into a fully-fledged hook. Except this time, he didn't recoil as it pulled his heart. He couldn’t even think of saying no, not when he had been given the chance he always wanted. 

And so he stayed.

For the first few weeks, he continued staying in Imelda’s room, soundlessly sleeping the days away as the family went back to their normal work routine. Yet no matter how harsh the workday might have been, Imelda always came to check on him, sitting down in the chair beside the bed.

They would spend hours together talking, only stopping when the other had fallen asleep. Hector took pride in the first time he had gotten Imelda to laugh. She desperately tried to cover it up, telling him to stop so she could properly measure his feet. 

So along with getting freshly made shoes, Imelda removed his broken jacket sleeve, and stitched the ripped bottom. She even brought in a new pair of pants for him. 

Gradually, his body no longer ached at every turn, having healed enough for him to start trying to move out his bed. For a small period of time, he wasn’t able to walk without either the support of Imelda or the wall acting as a crutch. But eventually, he gained back his strength, successfully walking to the door with out assistance. 

Being able enough to move on his own, Imelda had wanted him to introduce himself to the family. And to his amazement, they had been more than willing to want to know him as well. 

He sat with his brothers-in-laws, talking over drinks as they shared details of their and Imelda’s childhood, much to her annoyance. Of course, he never could figure out how those two always managed to finish the other’s sentence. His son in law also shared in this confusion. 

Though that wasn’t the only thing Julio shared, having plenty of stories of his own, along with Rosita. Hector listened to Julio recount a bit about his former life, and later the story of how he and Coco met. Rosita’s memories of Coco mostly stemmed from their friendship, having gotten close to her as she helped plan her wedding.

Hector absorbed every word they spoke like a sponge, not wanting to miss a single part.

He had also gotten to know his nieta, easily taking a liking to Victoria’s energetic attitude. At some point, she started calling him “Abuelito” not even noticing that she had done so. It had been a heartwarming experience to say the least. 

After more time had passed, he had begun to express interest in going outside. He had wanted to visit his cousins and at least let them know he was doing well.

However, he was immediately stopped by everyone in the room. 

It was then that Hector discovered he had practically become a household name around the city. People crowded the shoe shop daily, asking the family multiple questions about him, trying to either confirm rumors or get some kind of new scoop. 

Needless to say, Imelda’s infamous boot also became the talk of the town.

So on one hand, Hector could finally stop hearing jokes about him choking on a chorizo. But on the other hand, if he stepped even a foot outside, he risked being constantly reminded of how his once best friend murdered him in cold blood, taken him from his daughter, stole his music, and attempted to murder his great-great grandson. 

So he asked for a guitar instead. 

Something that could help his mind stay distracted. And for the most part, it did. Strumming the strings while he sat on the couch, he asked Imelda if she wanted to sing with him. 

Despite having been reluctant at first, the idea had grown on her, eventually deciding to humor him one night. The family gathered around them, completely enchanted as the two performed perfectly in sync. It was as if no time had ever past between them.

Before he knew it, more months had passed by.

And in the last couple of days, he had made a habit of staring out of the window in what was now his and Imelda’s shared room. He silently watched the city lights reflect off his empty shot glass, lost in thought.

Upon hearing the door behind him open, thin arms circled themselves around his waist as a head rested on the curve of his spine.

“What are you thinking about?” Imelda asked quietly. 

Hector placed the glass down on the windowsill, giving her his undivided attention. 

“Plainly speaking… I’ve been thinking about Coco.” 

About how much he wished he could’ve seen her. 

“I’ve been thinking about her too.” She said.

“Along with something else you need to hear. Victoria overheard some customers as they were leaving the workshop the other day. She said they had mentioned Coco’s full name, something along the lines of ‘did you hear about Socorro Rivera, Hector’s daughter?’”

Hector’s curiosity peaked at this, hanging on to every word as she spoke.

“It confused me at the time. How could anyone know about our daughter when she hasn’t passed? However, the more I thought about it, the more things began to click. It’s been months since you’ve last had one of those flickering flashes. Not since Miguel left?”

Hector nodded, reconfirming her statement. “Not since Miguel left. Imelda, what are you trying to say?” 

“If people are talking about Coco, it means that new arrivals from the land of the living know who she is. Something must have happened there in the last couple of months, and I just know it’s because of Miguel. How else can you explain it?”

Hector was lost for words; he knew it was impractical to hope for a miracle, but at the same time, everything Imelda said made sense. His flashes were gone, not having come back once. And if people in the streets were whispering his daughter’s name, then it was obvious that there was more going on than any of them were aware of. 

Still, he found himself conflicted. 

As if reading his thoughts, her arms left his waist, moving from behind him to stand by his side. Lifting her hands up, she held his face in them, bringing him down to place a tender kiss on his lips.

“He may not have been able to put up your photo, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t find a way to help you. Have faith, Hector. I know you will see our Coco again.” 

A loud knock sounded at the door, interrupting their conversation. 

“I’ll get it, Mama Imelda!” Julio shouted from the other room.

They both exchanged knowing looks, expressing that they’ll finish discussing this later. As they walked back through the hallway to where everyone was situated, Imelda pinched her nasal bone in frustration.

“If it’s another one of your crazed ‘fans’, Hector, I’m going to scream. Every time you turn one away, twenty more show up! I wouldn’t be surprised if they started throwing rocks to get our attention.”

Rosita spoke up from the sofa. “Oh, they’re harmless. No one would even dare think about hurting us, or the last thing they’ll see is your boot coming towards their face.”

Imelda scoffed at this. “I’d hardly call bombarding my family with their nosy questions harmless. No one can even walk outside without someone prying into our personal lives about Hector.”

In the mist of all the conversation, Julio rushed in, almost breaking a vase before grabbing it in the nick of time. With the sudden noise catching everyone off guard, they all turned in his direction.

Hector ran over towards him, helping him place it back to its original place.

“Julio, what’s going on with you? Who was that?” Hector asked.

Julio’s eyes were shot wide open as if he had seen a horse walk on its hind legs and sing. He stuttered out something incoherent, continuing to look beyond bewildered.

Imelda grew annoyed, putting her hands on her hips, “What? Julio speak up, I can’t understand you when you mumble like-“

“It’s the Department of Family Reunions.”

Hector completely halted.

“Coco’s here- I mean not here, but at the department, she’s waiting for us!”

And just like that, the Rivera household nearly flipped upside down. Everyone gathering to their feet to rush to the door, yelling over each other as they tried to squeeze out all at once. 

The clerk, who had been patiently waiting outside, received a nasty surprise when the front door spat out the entire family on top of him. 

But Hector didn’t have time to dwell on that. He didn’t have time to think about anything as he finished picking up the pieces of himself. He needed to focus his mind on running, the faster the better. Making Coco wait for even a second longer, was already too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, this chapter became a monster so I had to split it in half. Hopefully it was still an enjoyable read. Also, thank you all so much for your feedback, the comments were so sweet and encouraging.


	3. Hector (2)

Hector must have been the dumbest man in the city for having run out the house like he did. 

With only Coco on his mind, he hadn’t even considered that there were faster means to get to the department. As he watched Imelda’s Alebrije fly into the far distance, he contemplated taking off his arm and hitting himself with it.

But as much as he wanted to stop and chastise himself, doing so only meant prolonging his reunion with Coco. And that was the last thing he wanted to do. 

Hector also still needed to thank Imelda for what she had said earlier. 

She had been right from the start, about Coco, about his flashes-something had to have happen in the land of the living for any of this to be possible. And if everything else she had predicted were true, then he owed Miguel the biggest thanks of all. Despite how much Hector had doubted him at the time, Miguel had kept his promise. He had really managed to save him.

A few yards ahead, he caught the sight of a large group of people walking towards his direction. Before anyone could notice him, he ducked into a hidden corner. It was tough not letting his impatience get to him, already annoyed that there was now another obstacle keeping him from Coco. 

In spite of that, he could at least say he had one advantage over the situation, and it was that he knew practically every shortcut in the city. It had been a skill he gained from mostly spending his days wandering around, anxiously waiting for the next Dias de Muertos, year after year.

He could even take the less crowded alleyways, allowing him to avoid being seen by anyone. As soon as the group passed him, Hector left his spot and turned into another empty side road. 

With every step leading him closer to his daughter, he began feeling the full extent of his anticipation. His curiosity ran to an all-new high, having more questions than he knew what to do with. He wondered how much had Coco changed over the years compared to his last memory of her? 

As he recalled, she had been cheerfully sitting on the edge of her bed, a spot she always claimed whenever he played his guitar. As he sang, her hands had reached out to hold his face, softly singing along with him. He could still see the smile that had bloomed across her face-

and the sadness in her eyes as she watched him leave.

Hector tripped on his foot, the image almost knocking him over. He couldn’t let himself focus on that particular memory anymore. If he was going to make up for all the pain he ever caused her, then he needed to get to her first. He had to let her know how much her Papa loved her.

With that being said, he picked up his pace, running faster.

It took a couple of blocks, a pathway under a bridge, and some more streets before he could begin to see just the tip of the Department. As he got closer, distant blurs started to look like people, busily walking in and out of the building. He also spotted a familiar spirit guide sitting towards the front.

Pepita was lying on the ground; stretched out lazily like a cat. When she saw him coming, she simply turned her head in the other direction, as if letting him know she thought he was an idiot. 

He couldn’t really find it in himself to disagree with her.

Within another couple of steps, he could see the whole family was gathered next to the Alebrije. Stopping only a few feet away, he had planned call out to them, but apparently, he hadn’t been as quiet as he thought. Everyone turned his or her head in his direction.

He tried wheezing out a sentence to ask about Coco, only to find that he was too out of breath at this point. He looked over to meet Imelda’s gaze, but she was already busy staring at the person to the right of her. As his eyes shuffled towards the same figure, they immediately widen with recognition. 

It was as if time had stopped itself around him, the streets had gone quiet, the city seemingly shutting down altogether. He couldn’t feel the breeze of the wind anymore. He felt his hat over his chest, not having realized he had taken it off as all of his attention had been solely focused on the woman before him.

There was absolutely nothing except for Coco.

Hector could never even think to forget her eyes, recognizing her as soon as he looked into them. 

And even after all this time, she still wore her hair in braids. 

She used to love having her hair styled like that, happily playing with her doll as Imelda worked her magic, finishing Coco’s look with two adorable pink ribbons.

Of course, Hector knew she was no longer that child anymore; she had long since grown up. Her facial features held more years of age than his ever could, and her hair shined a bright grey color.

Hector felt a tug of contentment at the sight. It was a huge relief to visibly be able to see that she hadn't been robbed a full life early like his had been.

He also noticed that she was still too far from his reach.

However, instead of stepping forward, Hector’s body completely froze as a sudden thought nailed him to the ground. 

Did Coco recognize who he was?

That question alone was enough to stop him in his tracks. The thought of having his daughter see him as nothing but a stranger, absolutely terrified him. He had feared it since the day he told Ernesto he wanted to go home. The idea of being estranged from her, it had torn him apart to even think of about it. 

But if she really didn’t know who he was, then he needed to force down the urge to run to her, despite how much he desperately wanted to. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he managed to scare Coco away from him.

“Papa?”

The sound of her voice had been so unexpected; Hector nearly thought he had imagined it. He was so lost in thought; he didn’t even notice that Coco had taken it upon herself to walk towards him, shaking slightly as she moved.

And then, what she had just said hit him like a pile of bricks.

She had called him Papa.

Daring to meet her eyes, he was surprised that he didn’t find a look of confusion or fear like he had imagined, but sincere affection. Her smile was loose, and her footing even looser as she stumbled slightly, quickly catching herself. 

Every worry he previously held were entirely thrown out the window as his feet snapped out of their frozen haze, running towards her. He reached out for her as he came closer and in a similar motion, Coco did the same. That was all the permission he needed. 

He pulled her into his arms, finally embracing his daughter as close as he possibly could.

In the past, Coco had been so small, too tiny to fully wrap her little arms around him. But now, she was able to grasp tightly at the back of his jacket, relaxing against him.

A choked sob sounded from the back of his throat as tears spilled down his face. He had forgotten what this felt like, just being able to hold her. He didn’t know if he would be able to let her go again. 

“I’m sorry Coco, I’m so sorry I’m late.”

It was a struggle just getting the words out, having to push against the whimpers that threatened to break his voice. Beneath him, Coco snuggled close to his ribs, clutching onto him like her life depended on it. 

“ Papa, It’s been such a long time since I last heard your voice… I’ve missed you…”

Leaning down, he kissed every inch of her face he could find, not feeling as if any amount were enough to convey how incredibly grateful he was to see her.

“I’m sorry- I’m sorry for every single day I made you wait, for every part of your life I missed. You deserved more than that. You still do.” 

He knew that his apologies wouldn’t give him back the life he once had or all the time he had lost, that knowledge has already plagued him for years. However, that didn’t mean that he would waste his second chance with her. 

“I love you, Coco. I love you so much…”

Placing one last kiss on her forehead, he felt Coco shift slightly, curling into him further. He let his cheek rest on top of her head, closing his eyes as a comforting silence overtook them. 

Hector knew that there was still so much left unsaid between them, he was sure that just like him, Coco probably had questions of her own. And he, of course, planned on answering anything she asked of him. Even if it hurt him in the process, he’d still gladly tell her everything. 

A foreign pressure touched his back, pulling him out of his thoughts.

And like a snap of magic, time unfroze itself. The air exploded with life again as he heard the sound of people chatting, shoes slapping against concrete, and the wind returning in full force.

Looking over, he saw that the source of the touch had been Imelda’s hand.Turning to her, he could see that she was staring at a crowd of people, a crowd who were more than likely gathering because of him. Imelda looked back at him and Coco, offering them a soothing smile. 

“Hector, I think it’s time we take our leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda see this as being part one of Coco's and Hector's reunion, the second part being the last chapter I guess? Anyway, the next chapter will be in Imelda's POV, as I'm sure there's going to be a lot of things they need to discuss.


	4. Imelda

After Hector had left his family behind to go play for the world, Imelda began to pray more. She prayed for many things, like good health, plenty of customers for the shop, and most importantly, for Coco to forget about Hector.

It pained her more than anything to have to constantly see Coco on the verge of tears, not understanding why her Papa hasn’t come home yet. Despite having thrown out every single reminder of him, his presence still found a way to linger through. So in turn, she prayed even harder for Coco to forget that despicable man. 

Eventually, Coco did stop waiting by the window, hoping to catch that familiar face again. Her tears dried up, no longer crying out as openly as she did before.Though on rare occasions, Imelda would catch her daughter staring longingly at the window. It seemed that no amount of prayers were enough to make Coco resent her Papa.

So Imelda resented him enough for the both of them.

But after having watched Hector nearly fade in her arms, she regretted all of those wishes. Just thinking of the bright flickering that encased his body still sent chills down her spine. 

At the time, she had screamed out his name, hoping to get a sign that he was still with her. However, when his answer never came, an alarm had gone off in her head. She didn’t know how much longer he’d be with her, and she was only losing time by sitting around doing nothing. Without wasting another second, she sprung back into action, asking her brothers to help carry Hector to the house.

It still amazed her how things have changed since that day. 

For one, She was on speaking terms with Hector again. Something admittedly she never thought she’d be capable of in the afterlife. And now, Hector was helping their daughter climb down from Pepita, telling her where to place her foot so she’d land correctly.

Seeing Hector like this, Imelda couldn’t help but find herself amused by him. He almost reminded her of a puppy, not daring to leave Coco’s side since the moment he reunited with her. Now that she thought about it, Coco used to resemble the same thing. 

As a child, she’d eagerly follow Hector around, asking him to pick her up, to play with her or sing to her.

She had forgotten how much she loved seeing them together like that. 

As Hector walked coco to the front door, Julio spoke up from beside her, pointing over to the window of his room.

“Mama Imelda, I think my side of the house got bigger.”

As it would turn out, Julio had been right. His part of the house appeared to have increased while they were away. However, that knowledge went without saying, it wasn’t unusual for the house to slowly expand and create either a new room or more space when a new family member arrived.

“I mean, it would make sense,” he continued. “ We use to share a room in the land of the living.”

“I see…gracias Julio.” Imelda said, trailing into the house after Hector and Coco. They were still chatting together softly, a pleasant atmosphere surrounding the two. It almost felt like a waste to interrupt the moment of peace between them.

“Coco,” Imelda said, her voice cutting into their conversation. After getting Coco’s full attention, Imelda started again. 

“Julio and you are sharing a room again, the one that’s down the hall to the far left. “ She pointed out.

“You must be tired, Mija. Why don’t you get settled for the night?”

Coco hesitated for a moment. She anxiously glanced at Hector, appearing to not want to be separated from him so soon. Luckily, Hector also sensed this, placing his hand on Coco’s back. 

“ I’ll help you get to bed then.” 

Coco gave him a soft smile, happily excepting the offer, all traces of her anxiety disappearing as the two walked down the hall. Imelda noticed that no one was following them. 

“ Why are you all just standing there, are your shoes glued to the floor?”

Felipe scratched the back of his head, looking towards his brother.

“Oh, Uh… We think-“

“-We left the lights on in the shop.” Oscar finished.

“What are you two talking about, I’m always the one who turns them off-“

They had both already dashed off before she had finished her sentence. She huffed out in annoyance, noticing that everyone had left except for Victoria, who was still in the middle of making her escape.

“Victoria!”

She flinched, jumping up like she was caught in the middle of a crime. Victoria looked back towards her nervously, fixing her glasses.

“Yes, Abuelita?” 

“Why are you leaving? In fact, why is everyone leaving?”

“Well, you see…” Victoria started, fiddling with her fingers.

“ We all kind of talked about this on the way here.”

Imelda’s stare narrowed at her questioningly, “About what?”

“We thought it’d be best to give you three space for tonight. You know, talk some things out, all that kind of stuff. ”

So that’s what this was about. She sighed out, letting her stance loosen. 

“Victoria, none of you have to do that. You all have just as much a right to be there as Hector and me. “

“I know Abuelita, I promise I do, but it’s just that… like you said before, family is important. When you asked us to help get Abuelito’s photo back from Ernesto, we did it because it had been important to you and Miguel. And now, Abuelito is a part of our family. Mama and Him have waited so long to see each other, they deserve the closure, and so do you.”

“But what about you? Don’t you also want your own closure?”

Victoria smiled sadly but continued to stand tall on her own two feet. “I’ll be ok.” 

She walked over to hug her grandmother tightly. “Buenas Noches, Abuelita. I’ll see you all in the morning,”

“You know you can always come in if you change your mind. You should let the rest of the family know that too.”

“I will.” Victoria said quietly as they let go of each other.

Still, Imelda wondered if things were really fine like this as she watched Victoria go into the living room. 

Turning swiftly on her boots, Imelda started walking down the hallway. With her footsteps coming closer to Julio’s and now Coco’s room, she reached out for the doorknob. Before she could turn the handle, the sound of muffled laughter busted out from inside.

Opening the door, Imelda was met with the sight of Hector covering Coco with far too many blankets, putting them over her like a giant shawl. Coco herself was laughing at the pure ridiculousness of the situation. 

It had been so unexpected for Imelda; she couldn’t help the loud snort of laughter that left her mouth. Hector grinned mischievously, turning back to help Coco remove the heap of blankets.

“See, I told you it would make her laugh.” 

Coco nodded, letting out another giggle, “You were right, Papa.”

Imelda crossed her arms, trying to find it in herself to at least pretend to be annoyed by such antics. He knew how much she hated her own laugh.

“Ah, Imelda, I only meant it as a joke,” he said, stepping closer. “I’m sorry.” 

She had wanted to continue faking her anger, but his voice had been laced with such sincerity, how could she not relent just a little?

Reluctantly, she gave in. “Well, …you were the only man who could make me laugh.” 

He chuckled at this, holding his hand out for her. She easily took it, grasping his larger hand into her own.

“ You say that like it had been easy.” He said with a gleam in his eyes. Looking behind her, he stared at the door.

“So, where’s everyone else?” 

“They thought it would be better if it were just us three, apparently.”

He raised an eyebrow ridge at this, but before he could say anything more, they both turned their heads as they heard a squeaking sound from the bed. Coco had now moved to the edge of the mattress, her eyes fixed on Imelda and Hector’s intertwined hands curiously.

“Are you two…back together?”

Imelda would have surely flushed if she were still capable. She was embarrassed at herself for no having mentioned their relationship status earlier. 

“Si, We are, Coco.” Hector thankfully said, looking rather shy.

As they walked over to Coco’s bed, Imelda decided to sit next to their daughter. Meanwhile, Hector had pulled out and stationed himself on a stool directly across from Coco. He cleared his voice with a few coughs into his hand. 

“I’m sure you have more questions you’d like to ask.”

“I…I do Papa, or at least I did. But I’m so restless right now, I’m honestly drawing a bit of a blank.”

Hector seemed to go over an idea in his head, gears turning as he thought. He snapped his fingers when he finally found a good solution. 

“ Then how about this. I’ll just start from the very beginning, and you can ask me any questions you think of along the way.

Now across from her, she heard Hector let out a small breath, preparing himself for the start of what would be a very long conversation.

Hector slowly started, “ I… died when I was 21.” He admitted 

As far as how hector’s death went, Imelda only knew what Miguel had told her. She didn’t want to push Hector for more information while he had been recovering, wanting to focus on other things, for example his health and happiness. 

Of course, they had referenced it once or twice later on, but never dived too deep into the subject as it was still a very sore topic. So having now heard that he had died at such a young age, her mouth ran completely dry. She should have taken her boot and shoved it down Ernesto’s mouth when she still had the chance.

“ The day I left, it hadn’t been alone. I was with Ernesto de la Cruz, someone who I had considered a very close friend at the time; and one of the few people I trusted back then. “ 

“We had spent months together performing on the road, and with all the time I spent away from home, I missed you. I didn’t want you to know me through letters. I wanted to be there for you…but, when I told Ernesto that, he was less than understanding.” 

As he continued, every word he spoke seemed as if they were burning him, tearing him apart as he remembered Ernesto’s betrayal. 

“He murdered me that night by poisoning my drink. He took my songs, my guitar, raised himself to fame, and didn’t even bother to give me credit. I never, in a million years, would have thought he was capable of all that- not when he was like un hermano to me. And yet, he still-“

He suddenly stopped midsentence, his body deflating like a popped balloon. 

“Hector…” Imelda whispered. It hurt her seeing him like this. She was just about to call out his name again but became distracted as she heard the sound of weeping beside her.

She then realized that the reason Hector had stopped had been because their daughter was crying.

Slowly, Coco spoke up from her own sobbing. “I had no Idea… that you were already gone that whole time…“ 

“I used to sit around sometimes as a girl, imagining that you’d come back one day, tell me all the adventures you’ve been on…”

Hector’s mouth became a thin line, scanning Coco over worriedly. “We can stop here for today Coco, there’s no need to rush.” He offered.

Coco’s hand came up to wipe her eyes, trying to calm down. “No, I’m more than ready to hear everything. I just need a few minutes to take in all of this.”

After a couple more brief minutes past, Coco found the strength to talk again, despite the slight shake that her voice held.

“Can I ask you another question?” 

“Yes please-ask me anything.” Hector said.

“The clerk, the one who had helped me earlier in the department, he told me that everyone knew you. They even knew who I was…what did he mean by that? It’s like you’re famous…”

Imelda had to grit her teeth in order to keep from cursing out loud- just as always, those nosy fans were sticking their head where it didn’t belong.

Hector didn’t seem as surprised to hear this, answering Coco’s question without hesitation. 

“ Me being famous… that all kind of happened recently. No one really even knew who I was until…until Miguel came into the land of the dead.” 

“Miguel? My great-grandson? That Miguel?”

“ I know it sounds impossible, but it’s true, Coco. “ Imelda said.

“ Miguel had been cursed; he stole from a grave during Dias de Muertos. In order to go home, he needed a family member’s blessing by sunrise or he’d become a member of the dead.”

“ It was supposed to be simple, I bless a flower petal, he goes home, and everything goes back to normal. But once I found out that he had stolen a guitar, I added in a condition that he never plays music again. So in the end, he ran away from me.” 

“Than, he and I came across each other.” Hector said, readjusting himself in his seat. 

“He thought Ernesto was his great-great-grandfather, and I didn’t know we were related at the time, so we ended up helping each other. “

Coco tilted her head in confusion. “Why didn’t you know Miguel was related to us, Papa?”

Hector’s shoulders immediately tensed up, his body freezing on the spot. Imelda likewise, found herself halting along with him. He nervously played with the loose ends of his hat, until finally wincing out an answer. 

“ I…Uh…I…never visited the land of the living.”

“Not even once?” Coco asked. Her voice held a clear touch of sadness in it, obviously disheartened by his comment.

Imelda’s own conscience twisted, reminding her of who’s exactly to blame for that. She had been the one who ripped his face clean off the family photo, angrily throwing it into the trash. 

She couldn’t deny the part she played in this.

“I took his photo off the Ofrenda,” She said, surprising both Coco and Hector.

“Because of me, he was never able to come visit us. Because of me, …he was never able to see you.”

“Imelda- “ Hector started.

“I know what you’re going to say, that I shouldn’t blame myself for it, but how can I not own up to my own actions? “

Every move she had made in the past, it had been to ensure that her family would stay strong no matter what. But when Miguel had told her that families were supposed to support each other, and that she never would, his words had shocked her.

It made she realized, in her attempt to try and protect Coco and him, she had ended up hurting them both. She had taken away all of Coco’s connections to her Papa, just like she tried to take away music from Miguel. 

And she couldn’t forgive herself for that.

“We can’t change the past.” He said quietly. “No matter how much we want to…”

Imelda didn’t reply, remaining quiet as she listened to him talk.

“But we can change how we do things in the present. Together.”

Maybe he did have a point. What good did it do to wallow in what she couldn’t change? She needed to focus on what was happening now. She needed to be here for Coco, regrets of the past be damned. 

“You’re right.”

Knowing her daughter’s face would give her the extra boost she needed to feel more energized, Imelda looked over to her. But to her surprise, Coco’s previous look of awe had faded from her face, replaced with a guilt-ridden expression. 

It puzzled Imelda, why would Coco be feeling guilty about any of this? She opened her mouth to question her, but Coco had already started talking again, breaking the room’s silence.

“What happened next in your story, Papa?”

Hector sat up straighter, fixing his crooked jacket. “Ah, Right. “

“Miguel agreed to put up a photo of me, and in return, I’d help him see Ernesto. We entered singing contest, where the winner will get to perform at Ernesto’s concert, and an invite to his grand annual party.”

As he continued talking, Imelda kept a close eye on Coco. The quick appearance of guilt that had been on her face was now gone, replaced with wonder as she listened to Hector. This didn’t make her own growing suspicion go away, could it be possible that Coco was hiding something?

“But right when we were so close to winning, we had gotten into a fight. He ran off somewhere, and I figured he might sneak into Ernesto’s party so I managed to do the same. As I guessed, he had been there.”

“Miguel ended up finding out the truth of who really wrote the songs- but at the time, I didn’t want to linger on it. I just wanted him to put my photo up. I needed Ernesto to back me up, thinking maybe Miguel would listen to him. I asked him if he remembered our toast, where he had told me he’d move heaven and earth for his amigo. And Miguel- “

“He said that was an exact line from one of Ernesto’s movie. Except, after the toast, Ernesto’s character found out his drink had been poisoned by his friend.”

Imelda’s eyes snapped back up to her husband, she almost couldn’t believe it. Ernesto plagiarized her husband’s- his own best friend’s own death, that dirty, lying rat! It made her sick to the core. 

“That whole time, I thought I had gotten food poisoning from a chorizo when I started thinking about it, everything began to suddenly make sense. The pain in my stomach, the fact that I died after the day of our toast.”

Coco touched Imelda’s hand with shaky fingers as she continued to listen to Hector story. Imelda held her hand in return, wanting to give her daughter all the support she needed.

“After that Ernesto showed us his true colors, he took my photo and had us tossed into a sinkhole. All so Miguel wouldn’t be able to tell anyone the truth.”

“While we were down there, I told him about you, about the song we used to sing together… You probably don’t remember it, but we used to sing it together when you were a little. You used to enjoy it back then, at least.” He said, his spirits lifting a little at the sentimental memory.

Next to Imelda, Coco’s let out a small gasp, as if she had just recalled something important. With gears turning in her head, she touched her chin with the tips of her fingers.

“Your song…is that how Miguel knew it? When he sang it to me?”

Imelda breath stopped, realization crossing her face as this new information hung in the room. That’s how he managed to save their daughter’s memory; Miguel had sung Hector’s song to her. She wanted to give Miguel so many kisses, a hundred- no a thousand kisses on both cheeks. He deserved each and every last one of them after what he has done for them. 

Hector’s mouth had dropped from across her, entirely taken back as well. They shared an astonished glance with one another, both of them speechless. 

A wide smile broke across her face, she couldn’t help herself anymore, and apparently neither could Hector. His earlier look of shock had now transformed as his smile stretched from cheek to cheek.

However, Coco wasn’t done delivering good news. “He told me that you loved me, that you wanted to see me. So I told the family about you, Papa. I showed them all the letters you gave me, and your-“

Without warning, Coco stopped, the same guilt-ridden expression returning to her face. Imelda picked up quickly on this, not wanting a repeat of what happened last time she waited too long to ask.

Imelda’s hand reached out to brush back a loose strain in Coco’s hair, putting it back in place. “What’s wrong Mija?”

Coco let out a deep breath, bringing her eyes up to face her mother.

“ I haven’t been completely honest Mama.” She said. “The truth is, I had Papa’s picture that you ripped off- and I gave Miguel the letters, and the photo. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner- but I didn’t want you both to be angry at me for not putting up.” 

Suddenly, Hector’s arm came around them, pulling them both into a snug embrace.  
Hector leaned down, covering Coco’s face with kisses on her cheeks and forehead. 

Coco blinked in confusion, looking up nervously at Hector.

“ You’re not mad that I never put up your picture? ” 

“I couldn’t be mad, even if I tried.” He said, still happily hugging them both. 

“Whatever reason you had for not putting it up, is yours Coco, and yours alone. You don’t need to apologize for that.”

Imelda nodded, “ He’s right Coco, you don’t have anything you need to feel sorry for.“

Coco just stared at them both, Imelda could guess that she hadn’t expected her confession to end quite like this. Coco’s lips began to spread, matching her Papa’s toothy grin.

She let out a small yawn when they pulled apart, reaching up to wipe the sleep from her eyes. 

Imelda could tell that Coco was more than likely worn out from spending all day having one highly emotional event after the next.

“Mija, it really has been a long day. You need your sleep.” Imelda said.

“But the story… we didn’t finish it.”

“ We still have tomorrow, Coco, and every day after. We’ll do it every night if we have to until you’re completely satisfied.“

After a little more persuasion, Coco reluctantly agreed. Her parents to tuck her into bed, both taking turns to kiss her goodnight, telling her they’d see her tomorrow. But as soon as Hector could took a step back, Coco mumbled out a request.

“Could you sing me to sleep Papa? Like you used to do before?

Hector immediately responded, not delaying his answer for even a second. “Let me go grab my guitar-“

“Just hearing your voice is enough for me.” She said, stopping him in his tracks.

Hector smiled down at their daughter, his hand reaching out to hold her cheek. Coco closed her at the motion, leaning into her Papa’s gentle touch.

“Alright then.”

As he began singing the familiar melody to her, Imelda watched them, lost in her own thoughts. 

They still had so much left to talk about. From Ernesto’s concert, to how the family came together to help get his photo, hector nearly being forgotten, Imelda singing again- they’d barely even touched the surface of everything and it was already a lot to swallow.

Yet, Imelda didn’t feel as if she needed to worry. She knew that as long as they were together, they were strong enough to handle anything. No matter how rocky the road ahead was.

From the front of her, Hector’s tune eventually slowed, fading as the song came to an end. Taking in a deep breath, he sang the last two words.

“Remember me…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnd that's a wrap, folks. Writing this has been a really fun ride, so thanks for reading it. Now I'll be off to start a new fic, and get around to reading other people's work as well. Also just throwing out one last headcannon, but I imagine that Coco never put Hector's photo because she always wanted to have a piece of him with her.


End file.
